Machine for applying cement to shoe components or the like

ABSTRACT

The margins of the upper and lower faces at the edges of a shoe component, for example a thick platform, simultaneously are coated with a cement, notwithstanding differences in the thickness of the component along its edges, in order to permit the edges to be covered by a decorative strip, while being bonded to the component by the cement so provided. The machine for performing this coating process comprises a pair of cement wheels, between which the margins of the upper and lower faces of the component are advanced, the upper wheel applying cement to the upper margin and the lower wheel applying cement to the lower margin in association with a cement supply wheel that is partially immersed in a cement trough. One of the cement wheels is driven through a shaft that is fixed with respect to a drive motor. The other of the wheels is mounted for rotation on a shaft that is driven by the drive motor through a universal coupling.

Unite States i [1 1 [111 2 3,851,622 Boynton 1 Dec. 3, 1974 41 MACHINE FOR APPLYING CEMENT TO 15 711 ESIR SHOE COMPONENTS OR THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Sumner Boynton, Beverly, Mass. The margins of the pp and faces 1': the fidges of a shoe component, for examp e a thic plat orm, [73] Asslgnee' fir Machme Works Lynn simultaneously are coated with a cement, notwithstanding differences in the thickness of the component [22] Filed: Ma 24 1973 along its edges, in order to permit the edges to be covdbd t'h'lb'bddth ere y a ecoratwe 5 up, w 1e elng on e at e [2]] Appl' 363516 component by the cement so provided. The machine for performing this coating process comprises a pair of 521 U.S. c1. 118/228, 118/261- cement wheels. between which the margins of the [51] Int. Cl. 1305c 1/00 ppe and o er aces of the omponent are ad- [58] Field 01 Search 1 18/261, 227, 228, 262, vanced, the ppe wheel pp y ng ce t to the upper 113/250 margin and the lower wheel applying cement to the lower margin in association with a cement supply [56] References Ci d wheel that is partially immersed in a cement trough.

UNITED STATES PATENTS One of the cement wheels is driven through a shaft 1 3 5 948 3 1932 C 1 8 228 that is fixed with respect to a drive motor. The other l Osgrove l l of the wheels is mounted for rotation on a shaft that is 1,775,087 9/1930 Cosgrove 1 118/261 X 1 849 540 3/1932 Cosgrove 118/262 x by the motor through a nlversal 1,851,162 3/1932 Cosgrove..... 118/250 P 2,032,364 3/1936 Johnson 118/250 2,063,149 12/1936 Brown ll8/262 X Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaurn V Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Morse, Altman, Oates &

Belle 10 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures PATENTL BEE 31914 SHEET 2 [IF 4 PAIENTEJ 3W4 3.851.622

saw 3 BF 4 J-Imun l llllllllllllllllllllll1HHillllllllllllllllllllllll1H1 0 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI mm mun "III-In n IIII n iiliiiiiiiiii Ill mum m E IIIIIIIIIIII .F l

illlllii FIG 4 I oo 7 "m m PATENTEL 974 SHEET 4 OF 4 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the production of shoes and, more particularly, to the application of cement to the margins of shoe components, for example thick platforms, for the purpose of enabling their edges to be covered by decorative strips of fabric or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to machines for the application of a fabric strip to a shoe component, particularly a platform, by wrapping the strip about the edge of the component in such a way that the margins of the strip are cemented to the marginal portions of the oposite faces of the platform. Such platforms typically are components of ladies shoes.

2. The Prior Art Difficulties have been encountered in applying such decorative fabrics to the edges of shoe components because of the varying thicknesses of the components from point to point along their peripheries. In consequence, movement between two cement applicator wheels operating simultaneously at opposite faces of a component must be tolerated. Prior devices for attempting such an operation have been unduly complex and expensive.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide, in a machine for coating the margins at opposite faces of a shoe component, a pair of cement wheels, between which the margins of the upper and lower faces of the component are advanced, the upper cement wheel being supplied with cement under gravity and the lower wheel being supplied with cement by a cement transfer wheel that is partially immersed in a cement supply. The upper cement wheel is driven by a shaft that is fixed with respect to a drive motor. The lower cement wheel is mounted for rotation on a shaft that is driven by the drive motor through a universal coupling. The cement transfer wheel and the lower cement wheel are geared together and journaled in a link which slides and pivots in such a way as to maintain a constant height of the cement transfer wheel in a cement trough notwithstanding motion of the lower cement wheel toward and from the upper cement wheel in consequence of different thicknesses of the component to which cement is being applied.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus, together with its components and their interrelationships, which are exemplified by the present disclosure, the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying detailed specification, which is to be taken into connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 1A shows the result of cementing a binding on an unfinished edge with the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view, partly broken away, of the device of FIG. 1, illustrating a first phase of operation; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view, analogous to FIG. 5, illustrating a second phase of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT blefinished material (in another machine not forming 'part of the present invention). Upper cement band 20 is applied by an upper cement wheel 30 and lower cement band 22 is applied by a lower cement wheel 32. The peripheries of upper wheel 30 and lower wheel 32 are knurled so that they perform the dual functions of gripping the edge of the platform therebetween and carrying cement to the margins of its upper and lower faces. The shaft of wheel 32 extends outwardly to a support wheel 34, which rotates freely and acts as a rotating cantilever support for the portion of the platform that has not been gripped between cement wheels 30, 32. The periphery of cement wheel 30 is supplied with liquid. cement under gravity from a cement container 36 through a channel 38. Cement is supplied to cement wheel 32 by an intermediate pickup wheel 40, the lower portion of which is dipped at predetermined height into a trough 42 that is supplied with cement from a container 44. Containers 36, 44 are removably held in inverted condition in suitable holders 46, 48.

A base 50, including support plate 51, mounts containers 46, 48 together with all of the other components of the apparatus. These components include a motor 52, first and second belt drives 54, 56 and a transmission 58. Details of transmission 58 and its interconnection with the remaining components of the present apparatus'now will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, cement wheels 30, 32 are driven via a pulley 60 through a shaft 62 which is journaled on base 50. On shaft 62 is a gear 64 which meshes with a gear 66. Gear 66 is keyed to a shaft 68 that projects forwardly through transmission 58 to upper cement wheel 30 so that the axis of cement wheel 30 is fixed with respect to base 50. On the other hand, cement wheel 32 is keyed to a shaft 70 which is journaled in a block 72 for transverse constraint in a vertical slot 47. Block 72 is part of a casting, other portions of which, also designated 72, are shown in other figures. Shaft 70 is connected to shaft 62 by a universal coupling 76 which permits rotation of shaft 70 notwithstanding the position of block 72 within slot 47 and notwithstanding the consequent position of cement wheel 32 with respect to cement wheel 30. Fixed to transmission 58 is a plate 78 which is provided with a horizontal slot 80. The shaft 82 of intermediate pickup wheel 40 extends into and through slot 80. Shaft 70 of cement wheel 32 and shaft 82 of cement wheel 40 both are journaled in a link 84, by which a pair of gears 86, 88 keyed to shafts 70,

82, respectively are retained in mesh. It is apparent that, as block 72 rises or falls within slot 47, shaft 82 advances or retracts in slot 80. In consequence, the axis of cement wheel 32 and the axis of cement wheel 30 always are perpendicular to a vertical line passing therethrough and the axis of intermediate pickup wheel 40 always is disposed along a specific horizontal line. In consequence, intermediate pickup wheel 40 always is positioned within the cement in trough 42 at the same height.

Various adjustments simply and efficaciously are made in accordance with the present invention. With reference to FIG. 3, normally link 84 is biased upwardly, so that cement wheel 32 is spring pressed toward cement wheel 30 by a helical spring 90 which extends between transmission box 58 on a lug on block 72. The orientation of link 84, in a counterclockwise direction as indicated in FIG. 3, is limited by a stop screw 95. The position of a skimming finger 59 on a skimming finger shaft 94 is controlled via block 96 to adjust film thickness. The position of block 96 is adjusted by a screw and spring arrangement 106, in which the screw freely projects through block 96 and is ad justably turned into a threaded bore in block 72 and the spring urges block 96 away from block 72. Skimming finger 59 may be forced to pivot against the bias of the spring when and if a large clump of cement is carried from cement supply 36 by cement wheel 30.

As shown, a pair of guide rollers 102, 104 are journaled in a pair of cantilever struts 106, 108 for purpose of limiting inward movement of the shoe component. Strut 108 is adjustably carried by a bracket 110 which has an upwardly extending portion that is bolted to transmission housing 58 and a horizontal portion (partly obscured in FIG. 2) to which strut 108 is bolted. Strut 106 is bolted to the horizontal portion of a bracket 112, the vertical portion of which is adjustably bolted to transmission housing 58. A skimming finger 59, which also is secured to shaft 94, removes excess cement from cement wheel 32.

OPERATION In operation, the manually held platform is manipulated between cement wheels 30, 32 with its innermost edge abutting against guide rollers 102, 104 and its medial portion resting on support wheel 34. Cement is applied by cement wheels 30, 32 throughout the margins of the platform. During this procedure, as the thickness at the edge of the platfrom increases or decreases, cement wheel 32 is lowered or raised, respectively, while intermediate pickup wheel 40 is displaced along the horizontal in such a way that its level of immersion in the cement of trough 42 is maintained. During this procedure, the thickness of the cement coat at the under margin of the platform is determined by skimming finger 59. This adjustment is made by means of finger 96 and adjusting screw 98, the level of the cement being the natural result of the inverted cement container 44 which is communicating with trough 42. On the other hand, the amount of cement being applied by cement wheel 30 is determined by the position of channel 38 with respect to cement wheel 30 along the horizontal. This position is determined by a screw 114 which extends through a portion of transmission housing 58 and through a portion of container support 46. One end of the screw is positioned by a locked thumb nut 116 and the other end of the screw is positioned by an adjustable thumb nut 118 and a spring 120, extending be tween thumb nut 118 and a wall of transmission housing 58. Rotating thumb nut 118 determines the lateral position of container support 46 and consequently the rate of flow of cement from the container to cement wheel 30. Thus, at all times, pickup wheel is immersed to a desired depth into the cement of trough 42 and lower cement wheel 32 is free to rise and fall in response to the varying thicknesses of the platform. Both cement wheels nevertheless are driven by the same motor, the upper cement wheel being driven by direct gearing and the lower cement wheel being driven by a universal coupling.

CONCLUSION The present invention thus features a pair of cement wheels which are supplied with controlled amounts of cement by precisely adjustable components and which nevertheless are free to move with respect to one another in order to permit the application of cement simultaneously to the upper and lower margins at both faces of a platform of varying thickness. Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention herein, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for applying cement to margins at opposite faces of a shoe component of differeing thickness, said apparatus comprises a base, an electric motor fixed with respect to said base, a first journal fixed with respect to said base, a first shaft in said first journal and driven by said electric motor, a second journal con- I strained for motion with respect to said base in a first direction, a second shaft mounted for rotation in said second journal, a universal coupling connecting said electric motor and said second shaft, a first cement wheel keyed to said first shaft, a second cement Wheel keyed to said second shaft, a third journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a second direction, a third shaft in said third journal, a third cement wheel keyed to said third shaft, a link fixedly connecting said second journal and said third journal, resilient means-connected between said base and said link in order to urge said second cement wheel toward said first cement wheel, a first cement supply communicating with said first cement wheel, a second cement supply communicating with said third cement wheel, said second cement wheel and said third cement wheel being geared together and in contact so that cement is transferred from said third cement wheel to said second cement wheel, whereby as said second wheel moves toward and away from said first cement wheel, the exposure of said third cement wheel to said second cement supply is maintained constant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said first cement wheel is determined by adjusting the exposure of said first cement wheel to said first cement supply.

3. The apparatus of claim ll wherein the rate of flow of cement to said second cement wheel is determined by adjusting a film control finger in association with said second cement wheel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first cement wheel and said second cement wheel are knurled.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a support wheel is mounted on said first shaft for free rotation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pair of guide rollers rotate about vertical axes to limit motion of said component along the axis of said first shaft.

7. An apparatus for applying cement to margins at opposite faces of a shoe component of differing thickness, said apparatus comprises a base, an electric motor fixed with respect to said base, a first journal fixed with respect to said base, a first shaft in said first journal and driven by said electric motor, a second journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a first direction, a second shaft mounted for rotation in said second journal, said first shaft and said second shaft being disposed along horizontal axes, a universal coupling connecting said electric motor and said second shaft, a first cement wheel keyed to said first shaft, a second cement wheel keyed to said second shaft, a third journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a second direction, a third shaft in said third journal, a third cement wheel keyed to said third shaft, a link fixedly connecting said second journal and said third journal, resilient means connected between said base and said link in order to urge said second cement wheel toward said first cement wheel, a first cement supply communicating with said first cement wheel, a second cement supply communicating with said third cement wheel, said second cement wheel and said third cement wheel being geared together and in contact so that cement is transferred from said third cement wheel to said second cement wheel, whereby as said second cement wheel moves toward and away from said first cement wheel, the exposure of said third cement to said second cement supply is maintained constant, a support wheel mounted on said first shaft for free rotation in order to limit downward movement of said component, and a pair of guide rollers rotatible about substantially vertical axes to limit motion of said component along the axis of said first shaft.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said first cement wheel is determined by adjusting the exposure of said first cement wheel to said first cement supply.

9; The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said second cement wheel is determined by a skimming finger in contiguity with said second wheel.

l 0. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein downward motion of said second cement wheel and horizontal motion of said pickup wheel occur simultaneously. 

1. An apparatus for applying cement to margins at opposite faces of a shoe component of differeing thickness, said apparatus comprises a base, an electric motor fixed with respect to said base, a first journal fixed with respect to said base, a first shaft in said first journal and driven by said electric motor, a second journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a first direction, a second shaft mounted for rotation in said second journal, a universal coupling connecting said electric motor and said second shaft, a first cement wheel keyed to said first shaft, a second cement wheel keyed to said second shaft, a third journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a second direction, a third shaft in said third journal, a third cement wheel keyed to said third shaft, a link fixedly connecting said second journal and said third journal, resilient means connected between said base and said link in order to urge said second cement wheel toward said first cement wheel, a first cement supply communicating with said first cement wheel, a second cement supply communicating with said third cement wheel, said second cement wheel and said third cement wheel being geared together and in contact so that cement is transferred from said third cement wheel to said second cement wheel, whereby as said second wheel moves toward and away from said first cement wheel, the exposure of said third cement wheel to said second cement supply is maintained constant.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said first cement wheel is determined by adjusting the exposure of said first cement wheel to said first cement supply.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said second cement wheel is determined by adjusting a film control finger in association with said second cement wheel.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first cement wheel and said second cement wheel are knurled.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a support wheel is mounted on said first shaft for free rotation.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pair of guide rollers rotate about vertical axes to limit motion of said component along the axis of said first shaft.
 7. An apparatus for applying cement to margins at opposite faces of a shoe component of differing thickness, said apparatus comprises a base, an electric motor fixed with respect to said base, a first journal fixed with respect to said base, a first shaft in said first journal and driven by said electric motor, a second journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a first direction, a second shaft mounted for rotation in said second journal, said first shaft and said second shaft being disposed along horizontal axes, a universal coupling connecting said electric motor and said second shaft, a first cement wheel keyed to said first shaft, a second cement wheel keyed to said second shaft, a third journal constrained for motion with respect to said base in a second direction, a third shaft in said third journal, a third cement wheel keyed to said third shaft, a link fixedly connecting said second journal and said third journal, resilient means connected between said base and said link in order to urge said second cement wheel toward said first cement wheel, a first cement supply communicating with said first cement wheel, a second cement supply communicating with said third cement wheel, said second cement wheel and said third cement wheel being geared together and in contact so that cement is transferred from said third cement wheel to said second cement wheel, whereby as said second cement wheel moves toward and away from said first cement wheel, the exposure of said third cement to said second cement supply is maintained constant, a support wheel mounted on said first shaft for free rotation in order to limit downward movement of said component, and a pair of guide rollers rotatible about substantially vertical axes to limit motion of said component along the axis of said first shaft.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said first cement wheel is determined by adjusting the exposure of said first cement wheel to said first cement supply.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the rate of flow of cement to said second cement wheel is determined by a skimming finger in contiguity with said second wheel.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein downward motion of said second cement wheel and horizontal motion of said pickup wheel occur simultaneously. 